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Book Bingo | A Book With a Blue Cover | The Age of Miracles

by Karen Thompson Walker

Overall: 4/5

This book was a slow, easy science fiction read. Okay I know some of you are groaning (SCIENCE FICTION AGAIN DOESN’T SHE READ ANYTHING ELSE???) with an extremely unique element that I’ve never really experienced in science fiction. Usually the main character is a heroine or hero in a dystopian or ruined version of the future who strives to change conditions around herself or himself. However, here the narrator and main character was a normal 12-year old girl (Julia) who happened to live while something extraordinarily devastating was happening to our world. Or perhaps the story was only a side-effect of the devastation, not the real story? I enjoyed that sense of duality.

Julia’s story was predictable (the affair, the deaths, etc.) but the true genius lies in the narrative style. It’s clear that Julia is writing the story from a few years ahead of when the story takes place and the way Julia phrases things kind of makes you wonder whether she will die at the end or if the world itself might end by the book’s end. I felt like this book was a celebration of life and the preciousness of change, fate, love, and loss. Although the end didn’t compel me to tears, my heart broke.

This book was a perfect way to escape outside myself.

Some things I didn’t like was the predictability and the nonexistent repercussions for some actions (ahem the affair [though…what was there really to do?])

ahh i wrote this really fast so sorry if it’s not a good review, i just want to win,